We are Hawaii’s community blood center

Blood Bank of Hawaii is a non-profit organization that provides lifesaving blood products to 18 civilian hospitals statewide. Typical uses for the blood include surgical procedures, treatment of accident victims, ulcers, anemia, delivery for mother and baby, and cancer.

Blood is collected at the Young Street Donor Center. Blood Bank of Hawaii is also on the move daily, setting up mobile collection sites within companies, organizations and community centers. Two bloodmobiles also travel to numerous communities on Oahu.

Our Mission

Blood Bank of Hawaii’s mission is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood, blood products and related transfusion services to the patients of our state.

Our Values

Safety

We are committed to providing a safe work environment for all employees, maintaining the safety of our blood products and creating a safe donation experience for the thousands of individuals who give the gift of life each year. Because we’ve been able to uphold these high standards, Hawaii’s blood supply is safer than ever before.

Regulatory Compliance

We adhere to all policies, procedures, regulations and guidelines as outlined by U.S. Food and Drug Administration, AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks), State Department of Health and other agencies as required. In addition, all policies are reviewed by a medical committee composed of selected trustees and physicians from our community. We rely on employees to perform their job duties with consistency in line with standard operating procedures.

Efficiency

We strive to maximize our time and resources to supply Hawaii’s hospitals with an adequate supply of safe blood products. Resourceful employees and efficient operations enable us to keep the blood processing costs to a minimum, which also benefits Hawaii’s patients.

Customer Service

We do our best to provide a pleasant, rewarding experience to those we work with – blood donors and medical professionals throughout the state. We show appreciation to our volunteer donors for all they do to help save lives. We work cooperatively with hospital transfusion specialists sharing expertise on medical issues, managing blood inventory and focusing on our partnership to help Hawaii’s patients.

Saving lives for more than 70 years

Blood Bank of Hawaii opened its doors in February 1941 on the grounds of what is now The Queen's Medical Center. Known then as Honolulu Blood-Plasma Bank, the blood bank served as a wartime agency under the Office of Civilian Defense, returning to its non-profit civilian status in 1943. Honolulu Blood-Plasma Bank officially changed its name to Blood Bank of Hawaii in 1946.

In the early years, blood was collected in glass bottles, hemoglobin checks were done via the earlobe, and a single van went around the island to collect blood. Services were expanded to included neighbor island blood drives and Hawaii's unique ethnic population became nationally recognized as a source for many types of rare blood.

Today, state-of-the-art blood bags are used for collections, adequate iron levels are verified through technology, and blood is collected at two fixed sites, along with two bloodmobiles that travel to Oahu's neighborhoods providing convenience for donors. Blood Bank of Hawaii adheres to the highest standards of safety and quality and continues its long commitment to providing a safe and adequate blood supply for Hawaii's patients.

Blood Bank of Hawaii is accredited by AABB and is a member of America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the nation’s largest network of community-based blood programs. Blood Bank of Hawaii is licensed and regulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration.